Release
by Captain Anon
Summary: Kimberly's lost her power coin and acts like everything's okay, but Tommy knows something's wrong with his girlfriend. Can he get her to open up about what's really going on? MMPR, Season 3.


_**Author's Note:** *gasp* A T-rated fic from CA? Craziness, LOL. I always felt it was rushed how Kim just suddenly decided to go to the Pan Globals after MMPR's fail to be consistent with her gymnastics in the months before she left. I also thought they sucked at addressing her feelings about losing her powers. So this is my version of what happened and how her focus shifted from being a ranger to gymnastics. :) Special thanks to my beta for being full of awesome. _

_**Side Note:** Cost of Revenge will be updated soon, LOL. I haven't forgotten, and if I haven't responded to your PM yet, I will soon._

* * *

**Angel Grove High School**

**Ms. Appleby's Class**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Friday, 10:42 AM**

"-and so it was for that reason that James Monroe and Richard Livingston traveled to Paris to negotiate the purchase of Louisiana. Though their interest was solely on its ports and the surrounding area, it turned out that…"

Tommy released a heavy sigh as Ms. Appleby droned on about yet _another_ historical fact that he cared absolutely nothing about. Several students around him were vigorously taking notes, and it annoyed him slightly.

'_She's not saying anything we can't read in the book,'_ he thought with a pout, glaring slightly at the older woman while kicking the back of the chair in front of him.

Tommy knew he wasn't really upset with Ms. Appleby; she wasn't the source of his bad mood. _That _person was a certain 5'2" gymnast who was suspiciously missing from her seat next to him.

Ever since she lost her power coin about a little over week ago, Kimberly had been acting differently. She was growing distant; avoiding him at times… it hurt him to see her this way. In public, Kimberly put up a good front, acting as if everything was okay, as if losing her power coin was an everyday occurrence, like misplacing a shoe. She openly accepted the love and support from her friends, and all of her actions indicated that she was coping well with her loss.

But Tommy knew better. He knew _her_.

The two of them had been dating for nearly three years and had been best friends for even longer. He knew her better than anyone, and he knew for a fact that Kim was feeling more than she let on. The two were unable to have an honest talk with one another after everything that happened to her, and he was growing aggravated with how she managed to weasel her way out of talking to him alone at every opportunity.

If there was one thing Tommy hated more than anything, it was feeling helpless. He couldn't get back Kimberly's power coin; he wasn't able to keep her out of Lord Zedd's clutches when he nearly drained her of all her energy, and now he couldn't be there for her when he knew she needed him most.

It was one thing to fail as a ranger… it was something else entirely to fail as a boyfriend.

'_But is it really failing when she chooses to keep me away?' _He kicked the chair in front of him again. _'Why won't you talk to me, beautiful?'_

Aisha turned around quickly in her chair, fixing Tommy with a heated glare. "You have one more time to kick my chair… then I'm breaking your legs."

He flushed. "Sorry 'Sha," he mumbled. "Did you speak to Kim today?"

Kim was staying with the Campbells until the end of the year while her mother was in Paris with Pierre. If anyone had been able to see Kim these last few days, it would be Aisha.

The yellow ranger nodded. "We spoke before I left for school. She's not feeling well… mom thinks she has the flu."

Tommy frowned. "Is it her en–"

A loud cough was heard. "Tommy, Aisha? Is there something the two of you would like to share with the class? It must be fascinating if you're talking during the lesson."

The two teens shook their heads. "We're sorry, Ms. Appleby. It won't happen again," Aisha said sweetly.

Tommy slouched in his seat once the woman went back to talking. A folded yellow piece of paper appeared on his desk. Curiously, he opened it, immediately recognizing Aisha's neat handwriting.

_**As far as I know, Kim's sudden 'sickness' isn't ranger-related - not in terms of health.**_

The white ranger let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. The last thing he wanted to hear was that Kim was suffering from another energy drain; he was becoming all too familiar with the sight of her sickly pale skin when she suffered from energy depletion. The rest of Aisha's note left him confused, however, and he raised an eyebrow before writing back to her.

**Not in terms of health? What's that mean?**

He tapped her on her back, and her hand reached out for the note. She opened it quietly, scanning its contents before writing back and tossing it onto his desk.

_**Later. We'll talk at lunch.**_

The white ranger sighed, checking the clock at the front of the room. 10:58. He hoped he could make it to noon.

**Angel Grove High School**

**Cafeteria**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**12:04 PM**

Tommy dropped his lunch tray onto the table loudly, startling Aisha as she ate her salad.

"Talk."

The yellow ranger narrowed her eyes. "We're not on the battlefield, Tommy. You don't get to bark orders at me here."

He sat down, hands running over his face in frustration. "I'm sorry, 'Sha… I'm just worried about Kim."

The yellow ranger's glare softened. "I know, but you don't have to be a dick about it."

He rolled his eyes playfully before getting to the issue at hand. "Your note?"

"Right," she said before taking a bite of her food. "I'm sure you noticed Kim's been acting differently ever since…"

Tommy looked around. "Ever since she lost her powers," he whispered.

Aisha nodded. "She puts up a good front, but we both know how Kim really is. She doesn't want anyone to worry about her so she hides it all behind a fake smile," explained the yellow ranger. "Tommy, I think she's worse than we realize."

"Is that why she's been home the last few days?" asked the white ranger, even though he knew the answer to the question before asking.

"I think so." Aisha picked at her food. "We know Kim's not sick. She wouldn't say what's really bugging her… not that she says much of anything lately," mumbled the yellow ranger. "I think it's all just finally getting to her."

The rest of the rangers had begun channeling their energy into Kimberly in order to keep the pink ranger on the team. It allowed her to fight with them in battle, but they knew they couldn't do it forever. Unless they retrieved her power coin from Lord Zedd soon, Kim's time as the pink ranger was going to come to an untimely end.

"I wish there was something we could do for her," said Aisha sadly. "I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through."

"I can," said Tommy softly. "When Zedd stripped me of my powers… it was easily the worst experience of my life. I guess it's different for me, because it didn't almost kill me in the process, but…" he trailed off. "But it was still difficult."

"How?"

Tommy ran a hand along his jaw. "My time as the green ranger was different than Kim's as the pink ranger. I had just been freed from Rita's spell and-" He swallowed thickly. "-and I was dealing with a-all the terrible things I had done. Being a ranger was sort of my version of redemption, both to the others and to me… it became my sole focus to make up for everything I ever did to hurt them."

He trailed a finger along the metal table."But when I lost my powers, it was like losing the only thing in my life at the time… well, the only thing that gave it meaning. I felt so useless to the team, like a burden because I had to –" He paused, eyes clouding over with understanding. " –rely on the others."

'_Just like Kimberly.'_

"How did you deal with it?" the yellow ranger asked as she listened closely.

"I was suffocating," he said softly. "I felt like a failure, like I let everyone down; Kim, Jase and Zordon worst of all. I didn't want to be around anything that…" His eyes widened in realization. "…that reminded me of being a ranger. _Shit_."

'_How could I be so stupid?'_

"Tommy?" Aisha picked up on his mood change. "What is it?"

"I think I may have an idea on what to do for Kim," he told her. "But I'm gonna need your help."

"You know I'll help in any way I can," she reassured him. "The guys will lend a hand as well if you need them, too. We all care about Kim."

"Good, because for what I'm planning… I might need all the help I can get."

* * *

**Campbell Residence**

**Family Room**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**6:12 PM**

Kim lay curled up on the sofa of the Campbells' living room, eyes unseeing as she watched television. The soft quilted blanket Mrs. Campbell gave her warmed her skin, and she snuggled down as she pulled it tighter around her.

She hated lying to the people who were graciously allowing her to stay with them, but faking sick was the simplest way to get out of school. She couldn't stomach another day of going to AGHS, seeing her friends' sympathetic glances whenever their communicators decided to go off…

Kim flipped through the channels, not really paying attention to what was going on. She could hear Aisha's parents murmuring to each other in the kitchen.

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, Kimberly? It might make you feel better," said Michelle from the kitchen doorway.

Kim turned over so she was lying on her back. "I'm fine, thank you. Maybe I'll be hungry later."

"All right, sweetie. Just let me know if you need anything before Ray and I head out."

The front door opened abruptly, and Kim smiled when she saw her best friend walk inside. Aisha's long braids swished from side to side as she rushed into the house, clearly distracted. She paused at the foot of the stairs, turning around to head over to her friend.

"And here I was thinking you were gonna ignore me," said Kim softly.

"How you doing, Kimmie?" asked Aisha as she crouched down to be eyelevel with the pink ranger.

"I'm okay," whispered Kim with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're back late."

The yellow ranger nodded. "Yeah… had some stuff to take care of."

"Is that why you're in a rush? What is it?"

"It is, but I can't say too much about it," said Aisha as she chose her words carefully.

"Why not?"

Aisha made a zipping motion over her lips. "No more questions, Hart."

Kim's eyes widened. "Is it a surprise?"

Aisha bit her lip. "Something like that." She glanced at her watch. "All right, I gotta go… stay put." She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against the older girl's head before heading for the stairs.

'_What's that all about?'_ wondered Kimberly. The pink ranger's mind was racing a mile a minute, trying in vain to figure out what her friend was up to. She could hear Aisha moving around upstairs, loudly opening and closing drawers.

'_If it's a surprise for me, Tommy has to know, too,'_ thought the short teen. She involuntarily smiled at the thought of her boyfriend. Kim knew it had to be tearing Tommy apart to see her without her powers; knowing him as well as she did, she knew he felt terrible about not protecting her more. Nothing she could say or do would ever be able to convince him otherwise.

It didn't help matters that she hadn't been able to spend as much time with him as she should have. From the moment her power coin was stolen, Lord Zedd had been relentless in his attacks on Angel Grove. From taunting Tommy to kidnapping Kimberly to even sending a small army of powerful creatures down to Earth, Lord Zedd was determined to fight the rangers at their weakest.

She frowned, pulling the quilt up to her chin. It hurt to know she was being used this way to hurt her teammates, her friends, because she had to depend on them so heavily. Tommy's focus was shot to hell thanks to her _condition_, the other rangers were always a bit weaker from selflessly sharing their energy, and she was feeling more like a hindrance than help on the battlefield with the frequent fainting spells.

It was frustrating, being relegated from second-in-command to a reserve ranger in a matter of weeks. Sometimes it just seemed easier to give up being a ranger given how much damage her lost powers had caused, and it scared her to realize that thought had crossed her mind several times as of late.

She was tired of feeling less than her friends; even though she knew she wasn't, it still _felt_ that way. More than anything, Kim enjoyed the rush of being a ranger, of doing good for other people and how that made her feel about herself as a person. She loved having that unique connection with her friends and saving the world with them by her side.

And now it was gone.

Granted, Kim was grateful for the unexpected break from ranger duty. Having to disappear for every monster attack and being sent back in time and into outer space at the drop of a hat was not on her list of top things to do on a daily basis. She never really enjoyed the extra stuff that came with being a ranger, though she was able to manage the work.

Luckily for her, her newly free schedule gave her the chance to distract herself from all the things going wrong with her life. The unexpected appearance of world-renown Gunther Schmidt in Angel Grove was the perfect focus for the discouraged pink ranger. The Swiss trainer was incredibly impressed with Kim's progress as a gymnast, despite her not having formal training, and had taken her under his wing to train for the preliminaries for the Pan Global Games. Competing brought back the spark in her she thought Lord Zedd had extinguished, and it reawakened something inside the teen thought long-dead. Focusing on her training – while initially a way of coping – was now changing her perspective on who she thought she was and what she wanted in her life. Coach Schmidt helped remind her that she was more than just a power ranger… that she wanted to accomplish more in her life than saving the world.

And after placing first last weekend at the competition, the pink ranger had _a lot_ to think about.

Kim broke out of her thoughts when she heard loud footsteps come downstairs. Aisha tossed something in the pink ranger's direction before racing to the back of the house. It was Kimberly's duffel bag.

"Um… 'Sha? What's going on?" asked Kim, but received no response.

What she _did_ hear was the backdoor opening and closing, followed by some shuffling and hushed whispers.

"Aisha?" she tried again.

The yellow ranger appeared seconds later from around the corner, and Kim was surprised to see Billy, Rocky and Adam trailing behind her. Aisha turned to them, drawing them into a huddle to whisper something before heading off to the kitchen.

"Hey dad, when do you and mom plan to be back from Arizona?" Kim heard Aisha ask her parents.

The Campbells were headed out to see Aisha's aunt be married for the fifth time. Having been warned about the outright foolishness that always ensued at one of her aunt's nuptials, the two rangers decided to stay in Angel Grove for the weekend.

The three male rangers waited until Aisha's parents were preoccupied with their conversation before turning to Kim.

"You guys want to tell me what's going on?" asked Kim sitting up. "Or is this all part of my surprise?"

Adam gave her a weak smile before turning to Rocky. "I'm still not comfortable doing this."

Rocky sighed. "Come on, we said we'd do it. Let's get it over with; we don't have a lot of time."

The red ranger put out his fist and the other two followed suit, shaking their hands three times before engaging in a game of rock, paper scissors. Billy beat both of them the first round, stepping back to allow the other two to play once again. The red and black rangers played once more, and Adam grinned when he used his fingers to 'cut' through Rocky's paper. Rocky groaned before rolling his eyes.

"Let's get this over with," he mumbled, pulling out some rope from his back pocket.

The pink ranger's eyes narrowed. "Rocky, why do you have –"

Kimberly was unprepared when the three rushed towards her. Billy grabbed her duffel bag off the ground, while Adam and Rocky yanked Kim off the sofa.

Rocky wrapped his arms around her legs while Adam pressed a hand over her mouth to quell her shouts. Her foot connected with the back of Rocky's leg, sending him down on one knee hard. He bit back a groan, holding her legs down to the ground and straddling her waist in order to tie them together. A knee flew upwards, slamming into his chest and leaving him momentarily winded.

"Holy shit, she's strong," he wheezed, coughing slightly as he looped the rope around her legs.

Adam wasn't faring any better with her upper body. Kim wiggled fiercely against him, and his hand shook with tremors as she yelled what he could only assume to be a wide variety of expletives into his palm. His other arm was wrapped around her stomach, keeping her arms trapped to her front.

"What was that noise?" asked Ray Campbell from the kitchen.

Aisha moved in front of the doorway to the kitchen. "Oh, that's probably just the TV… so uh, mom, what dress are you planning to wear?"

Billy grabbed the remote from the couch, increasing the volume so that it overpowered the sounds of the struggle going on a few feet away.

Adam's eyes widened in horror when he felt something wet and sticky on his hand, and he nearly yelped in disgust.

"Oh God… _she's licking my hand_!" he whispered disgustedly. The urge to release her was overpowering as her tongue snaked over his palm, and the black ranger shuddered involuntarily at the thought of her saliva on his skin.

"Got it," whispered Rocky as he turned around, crouching over her to tie her arms together. Her squirming made it difficult to secure the rope, but he managed to tie it around her back after a few minutes.

"Ugh," groaned Adam and he removed his hand from her mouth. "I can't… that's _disgusting_…"

Rocky glared angrily at his best friend before bringing his hand over Kim's mouth. Expecting this, she leaned forward, biting him hard on the wrist. He stifled a loud curse, placing his hands on her shoulders and holding her down to keep from biting him again.

"What the _fuck_ are you guys d-"

The rest of Kim's sentence was muffled as Billy shoved a scarf into her mouth. He pulled out a roll of duct tape from his own bag, tearing off a long strip before gently lifting Kim's head and wrapping it around to hold the cloth in place.

"I _really_ hope you don't carry around duct tape and old scarves in your bag all creepy like that all the time, blue," said Rocky breathlessly.

The blue ranger rolled his eyes. "She was going to spit the scarf out," he explained when Adam shot him a concerned glance. "We need to move her to the backyard so we can teleport out of here."

"Kim, are you okay?" asked Aisha's mother.

The pink ranger let out a frustrated scream, which unfortunately sounded like a wounded moan. _'No, I'm not, because my friends have lost their goddamn minds!'_

Aisha answered for her. "She's fine, mom; I think she's heading up to bed. She's probably more tired than she thought."

The blue ranger turned off the television and grabbed the pink duffel bag again, heading quietly to the Campbells' backyard.

Rocky pointed angrily at Adam. "You didn't do your part, so you have to carry her," he hissed, climbing off the irate pink ranger.

The black ranger let out a slight whimper before nodding, a little fearful as he stared at his enraged friend. He lifted her into his arms slowly, maneuvering her around so that she was bent over his shoulder. With any luck, hanging upside would disorient her from the head rush and keep her from attacking him.

"Please don't kill me, Kimmie," he mumbled. "This is all Tommy's idea, I swear."

He wasn't sure if she heard him, though he did notice that her struggles seemed to cease as they neared the backyard to stand with Billy and Rocky.

"Let's get a move on," said Rocky as he did a quick scan of their surroundings.

The four disappeared in bright flashes of light, leaving behind no trace of them ever being there.

* * *

**Greg Oliver's Cabin**

**Kitchen**

**Stone Canyon, CA**

**6:36 PM**

Tommy sat anxiously at the small kitchen table, fingernails scratching lightly against the wood.

'_Where the hell are they? It shouldn't be taking this long…'_ he thought worriedly. _'Maybe she didn't want to come.'_

When Aisha promised Tommy that she would get Kimberly to his uncle's cabin by any means necessary, he had truly believed she could. The yellow ranger could be extremely _persuasive_ when she wanted to be, and even Kim at her worst was no match for Aisha.

But with every passing second, his faith in Aisha waned, and he grew disgruntled when he realized Kimberly wasn't coming.

'_Should've known better than to think –' _A loud slam came from the front of the cabin, and he rushed out of the kitchen in a panic, only to stare slack-jawed at the sight before him.

Billy stood near the fireplace with a small pink duffel bag in his hand as he glared behind him at his companions. Rocky and Adam walked in carrying a bound and gagged Kimberly.

"What the _hell_ are you _doing_?" yelled Tommy in alarm. "Why do you have my girlfriend tied up and…?" His brown eyes opened in shock. "_Did you kidnap her_?"

The black ranger looked at Rocky. "I told you this was a bad idea."

Tommy rushed them, carefully pulling Kimberly from them and cradling her against him. "I said _bring_ her here, not _abduct_ her."

"Hey, man, she hurt us a hell of a lot more than we did her," said Rocky moodily as he massaged his sore wrist. "She has teeth like a fucking alligator."

Kim jerked violently in Tommy's arms, and Rocky jumped back in fright.

"It would be a poor choice to upset the woman you decided to seize from her home unwillingly," Billy said with a slightly amused expression before dropping the bag to the ground. "Aisha informed me that she has packed enough clothes for the weekend," he told the white ranger. "I believe this should suffice for what you have planned?"

The long-haired teen nodded absently as he moved Kimberly to the couch, sitting her upright.

"Then I'll take my leave," said Billy as he turned to the other two men in the room. "I suggest you do the same." He left in a blue flash.

Adam stared at his feet nervously. "Aisha said she wouldn't come on her own…"

"So you kidnapped her?" barked Tommy.

Rocky crossed his arms over his chest. "She's here like you wanted, isn't she?" He turned to the black ranger. "Let's go, Adam."

Rocky teleported from the room.

The black ranger sighed. "I'm sorry, Kim," he muttered before leaving as well.

Tommy closed his eyes, hands running over his face. "God, this is all wrong… this isn't what I meant to happen, I swear. They were just supposed to bring you here." He reached up, fingers brushing against the silver duct tape softly, but instead of removing her gag, Tommy stared at her intently, eyes searching her face for something.

Kim blinked rapidly in confusion. _'What the hell are you doing? Take this off of me!'_

His hands moved from her mouth to her hair, fingers running through the soft locks. "I'm going to free you, I promise…" He licked his lips. "But I have something to say first, and since you can't run away from me yet, I'm going to say it now."

Kim watched silently as he sat on his knees before her, hands skimming her thighs as he avoided her gaze.

"I-I know you're going through a rough time right now and probably think that the best way to deal with everything is to pretend like it didn't happen." He laughed softly. "And I'm even more positive that the last thing you want to talk about is what happened to you… so I won't talk about that."

Kim's eyes narrowed in confusion. _'What?'_

He cleared his throat. "What I want to tell you is that I understand." He grabbed her hands in his. "Not that I understand exactly what you're going through; I know I lost my powers, too, but I never almost died as a result…" Tommy sighed. "And maybe that's why you feel like you can't talk to me or why you'd rather put on a happy face when we both know you're not all right… and I-I just want to let you know that I get that, beautiful."

The pink ranger could feel her anger draining from her slowly as her boyfriend continued to talk.

"When I lost my powers, it _really_ sucked seeing you guys every day, knowing that even though I was with you, I was still an outsider because of something beyond my control. That I was different… a _fake_ ranger out of pity more than anything." He swallowed thickly. "I couldn't stand being in the same room as you guys with that weighing me down."

Kim nodded without thinking; that was exactly how she felt.

The white ranger ran a hand through his hair. "You guys tried to help me, and it wasn't something I could handle." He gave her hand a squeeze. "I know that I hurt you by shutting you out back then, but solitude was the only way I could deal with what I was feeling."

His eyes finally met hers. "And now that the situation is reversed, I think more than anyone I understand that keeping people at a distance, especially at a time like this, could be the best thing for you… no matter who they are." He was unable to keep the hurt from his voice, and Kimberly picked up on it immediately.

"I asked them to bring you here so that I can give you the space you need to work things out on your own. Angel Grove can make it kinda difficult to put all the ranger business in the background, so maybe my uncle's cabin can help you like it helped me."

Tommy shrugged. "I know I can't – can't give you what you need or make everything go back to the way it was before…" he trailed off. "But maybe I can give you this."

Kim's eyes stung horribly, and she took a deep breath to control her emotions.

His hands found her hair before making their way to cup her face. "I love you, Kim, and I'll always do whatever I can to help you… please know that."

Tommy began to unwrap the duct tape from around her mouth. "I need to check on a few things before I leave, then the cabin is all yours, okay?"

Kim stared at him, wiggling her jaw around now that the tape was removed. Tommy balled up the tape and Kim removed the scarf, setting it down in her lap. She grabbed Tommy's hands when he moved to get to his feet, and her fingers interlaced with his.

"Kim?" he asked with a raised brow.

She licked her dry lips, voice hoarse as she whispered to him, "I want you to stay."

* * *

**Greg Oliver's Cabin**

**Living Room**

**Stone Canyon, CA**

**Forty minutes later**

Kim toyed with the edge of the worn cushion as she lay on the old couch. One of Tommy's arms was wrapped tightly around her waist, and she could feel his soft breath tickling the back of her neck. They had been laying down for over half an hour in silence. Lying with him so comfortably behind her was forcing all the things she tried to push to the back of her mind to come rushing forward. The anticipation of their much-needed conversation was putting her on edge, and she waited impatiently for him to start asking questions… except he never did.

It was starting to drive her crazy.

"Doesn't this bother you?" she finally asked, unable to take the wait anymore.

Tommy shifted slightly behind her, and he spoke into her neck. "How could holding you possibly bother me?"

Kim sighed, though she couldn't fight the small smile on her face. "Because we're not talking about anything."

He lifted his head, peering down at her seriously. "I told you that this was your time. I know you don't want to talk about it and I told you I'm okay with that. We can just lay here."

She scowled, annoyed that he was so goddamn understanding when she was like this. "Well, what if I want to talk?"

He furrowed his brow. "What? I thought…"

"I can change my mind, can't I? Maybe I don't want to sit here in silence."

A pregnant pause followed her statement before she felt Tommy release her to turn fully on his side. He gripped her waist, tugging until she turned to lay on her back so she could look up at him.

"So talk."

Kim rolled her eyes. "And you expect me to do it just like that?"

Tommy took a breath, calling on a patience he didn't feel. He was used to being the moody one, and he didn't find being subjected to Kim's attitude fun at all. He wondered briefly if this is what she had to put up with when he was upset.

"What are you feeling, Kimberly?"

The pink ranger pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't do this."

Tommy sighed. "Kim…"

She climbed off the couch, pacing angrily in front of him. "I want to go home."

Confusion crossed his face; she wasn't making any sense. "What? You just said that you wanted to talk abo–"

"I changed my mind," she said cutting him off. "I'm not ready yet."

Kim knew she was being difficult; this conversation needed to happen. But there was _so_ much she needed to say to him and she didn't even know where to begin.

The white ranger opened his mouth, fully intent on reasoning with her... until he noticed the signs. Her hands were shaking, wringing together nervously. Her face was flushed, eyes darting around her as if expecting something to happen at any moment. She was even breathing erratically.

'_She's going to lose it,'_ he realized.

Tommy studied her for several seconds, a plan formulating in his head. _'I hope this works.'_

"Well?" she asked.

"Well what?" The white ranger shrugged. "No one's stopping you." He pointed at the door. "You can either walk back or teleport. Your call."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "You're going to let me leave?"

"I don't _let_ you do anything, we both know that." He sat back slowly. "I know when the fight's over. You're obviously too _scared_ to continue… so go home."

A tense silence filled the room.

"I'm not scared of anything," she grit out angrily.

"Right," he said mockingly, rising to his feet. "Make sure you take your stuff with you." He gave a short laugh as he moved closer to her. "You know, I'm actually a little surprised… I thought you'd at least _try_ before giving up."

A mixture of anger and hurt crossed her features, and Tommy ignored the guilt building in his chest.

"Why are you saying this to me?" she asked softly.

Tommy forced his face to remain impassive. "I'm not saying anything but the truth."

"No, you're being hurtful," she corrected. "What I'm feeling is difficult to talk about, Tommy. I thought you understood that."

He rolled his eyes, invading her personal space. "As if I don't know what it's like to lose your powers? I went through the same thing you did, Kim."

"Don't you dare try to brush my feelings aside as if you get it," she said, voice rising to a shout. "You have no idea wha-"

"Then tell me!" he yelled, interrupting her. "You say I don't know what you're feeling? That I don't understand?" He could see the tears building in her eyes, and her hands were clenched into tight fists at her sides.

"You _don't_ understand!" she shouted at him.

Tommy got in her face, silently hoping she didn't hit him for this. "Then _make_ me!"

Kim pushed angrily at his chest, sending him back several feet. "I _hate _this, all right?" she screamed. "Is that what you wanted to fucking hear?"

The white ranger stood back silently as his girlfriend began to unravel before his eyes.

Kim paced angrily in front of him, hands running shakily through her hair. "I hate that I'm in this fucking cabin. I hate that I was kidnapped _again!_ I hate that I feel like I can't breathe." She pressed her fingers against her temples.

"But you know what I hate most of all?" she asked, and Tommy could tell the question wasn't meant for him. "I hate _everything _related to being a power ranger."

Tommy said nothing, knowing she needed to get this out of her system.

"I wish I could fly my zord up to the moon and blow up the Lunar Palace. I want to send Lord Zedd straight to Hell where he belongs but I can't even _do _that because I don't _have_ a zord anymore!" She looked at Tommy with wild eyes. "I've never felt so fucking useless in my life, and it's all his fault!"

He watched his girlfriend with sad eyes.

"I hate that Zordon can't do anything to fix this and whenever I see him, he looks at me like he pities me and all I want to do is hit him in the face. I don't _want_ pity!" she snapped. "I want things to go back to normal! When I was my own ranger, not a charity case leeching off everyone else's powers, and you guys didn't always have to look over your shoulders because I'm weaker than you."

He started to correct her, wanting to remind her that she was just as strong as them but stopped when she crossed her arms over her chest, bottom lip trembling. All of her anger seemed to have left her now, and she seemed on the brink of bursting into tears.

"Kim…"

"I hate that I'm so upset," Kim whispered.

"You have every right to be," he said gently.

Kim shook her head, eyes watery. "Why did he have to take my power coin, Tommy? Why did it have to be _me_?" she asked, voice cracking slightly. "I know it's selfish to think that – that I'm somehow _special_ and that I didn't deserve for this to have happened to me, but that's how I feel and I can't help it and I don't care if it's wrong to feel this way," she said in a rush.

"It's not," he told her.

"I don't want to cry because I should be grateful for what I have," she told him, wiping at her eyes. "I'm lucky to be alive and I know it's not easy giving up your energy to help me in battle. I couldn't ask for a better group of friends." She took a shaky breath. "That's why I try to smile and laugh and be a good sport about everything when all I really want to do is curl up and cry."

She was visibly crying now. "I didn't think it would be this hard."

Tommy walked over to her, pulling her small frame into his and wrapping his arms around her. "Shhh, it's okay, Kim…"

"No it's not," she moaned into his chest. "It's not okay. God, I just completely lost it on you."

"You needed that, beautiful," he murmured into her hair. "Remember what you always tell me? Not good to keep all that in." He rubbed small circles into her back. "Feel better?"

She nodded.

"Think you can make it over to the couch with me so we can really talk?" he asked. "Without yelling?"

"Yeah," she said softly. She allowed him to pull her over to the couch where she sat between his thighs, head resting underneath his chin and fingers interlaced with his.

"What's on your mind, beautiful?" he asked softly. "I know there's more going on than what you just told me. You've been avoiding me, and I know it's not because of that."

Kim didn't respond, choosing instead to curl into him more. He sighed, knowing full well the signs of retreat.

"Okay… so you're _not_ talking…" he said slowly. "All right, that's fine. I guess I'll just have to talk."

He felt her shift against him and knew she was sending an incredulous look his way. "Yeah, I know, shocker."

Tommy could feel slight tremors against his chest, a sign that she was laughing. She turned sideways in his lap, head resting on his shoulder. He could feel her soft steady breaths on his neck as he ran his fingers along her back.

He cleared his throat softly. "You know, when I was six, my mom bought me this uh… this pull-string toy cat – well, cheetah is more accurate, I suppose if you're talking about real animals. She was kinda small and I named her Cheetara. You know, from the show _Thundercats_?"

Kim frowned, unsure of where her boyfriend was going with this.

"She wasn't all that fast, now that I think about it… not like a real cheetah at all. Actually, she was _pretty_ slow and a little wobbly when she moved but –"

Kim tapped him on the chest to get his attention. "Tommy, what the _hell_ are you talking about?"

The teen ignored her. "My favorite thing to do was place Cheetara in the middle of the coffee table and point her straight ahead. And I knew that if I pulled her string tight enough, she would just walk and walk… until she fell off the edge of the table and crashed on the floor."

"Ah," said Kim softly with understanding. "I get it now."

He pulled back from her so he could look her in the eyes. "_Do_ you, Cheetara?" he asked with mild sarcasm.

Kim rolled her eyes, head moving back to his shoulder as her fingers traced random patterns on his shirt.

"I know what it's like to let your emotions get the best of you, Kim, to feel so much that it's like you're drowning," he told her softly. "But you're not like me. You don't deal with things by finding solitude. You do the opposite when you're upset – put on a happy face and pretend everything's okay because you don't want anyone to know you're hurting or to bring anyone else down."

He ran his fingers through her hair. "And don't you dare say I'm wrong. Just now _you_ apologized to _me_ for ranting about how _you_ feel, like it was wrong." Tommy cupped her face in his hands. "You're wound too damn tight right now, beautiful… I don't want to see you fall and crash."

She broke eye contact when his stare became too intense. "I don't know how to do this, Tommy," she confided in a whisper.

"Do what?"

Kim ran a shaky hand through her hair. "How to handle how I feel." She crawled off of his lap, sitting beside him so that her thigh brushed against his. There was so much she wanted to tell him… but she wasn't sure how he'd react.

"You're right, Tommy, I am wound too tight," she admitted after a long pause. "If I pretend nothing's wrong and act as if I'm okay, I don't know… it makes it easier to ignore. I don't feel so ashamed about how I feel…"

Tommy shook his head. "You have no reason to be ashamed, Kim."

She shot him a wounded look. "Yeah I do," she whispered. "I'm a terrible ranger." If he knew what she was really thinking, he'd be so disappointed in her.

The white ranger turned, grabbed her hands in his. "Kim, listen to me. You're a great ranger, one of the best. So your coin is gone – that doesn't change anything."

Kim bit her lip, eyes fixed on their joined hands.

"You're not alone, Kim." Tommy gave a small smile, hand reaching up to cup her face. "I know exactly how you're feeling. When I lost my powers, it was like losing who I am."

An unreadable expression crossed Kim's features then and she pulled away from him, rising to her feet. "You don't get it."

"Yeah I do, Kim."

"No, you don't," she said firmly. "A power ranger is who _you _are, Tommy; it's not the same for me. Losing my powers isn't like losing who I am… Tommy, I _found_ her again."

He frowned. "I don't understand…"

"When you came to Angel Grove, you were a loner, right? You told me that you weren't used to having friends and doing something meaningful with your life."

"Yeah…" he said, not following.

"It wasn't like that for me." Kim ran her hands through her hair. "I had friends; I had things I liked to do. I had a life that I loved before any of this happened. And then Zordon asked me to be a power ranger… and I said no."

Tommy's eyebrows rose. "You said _what_?" He didn't know that.

She looked away. "I said no at first. I was fourteen and popular and a little selfish and thought my life was pretty nice. Obviously, I changed my mind when I realized the good I could do from being a ranger… but yeah, I said no."

The white ranger nodded slowly. "Why are you bringing this up, Kim?"

"Because I need you to understand where I'm coming from." She sat on the coffee table, eyes fixed on the floor. "I've been a power ranger for three years, Tommy, and now that I've lost my coin I've realized something."

She looked at him with guilty eyes. "You're right – I feel terrible about not being a ranger and this whole ordeal with Lord Zedd brought home how important it is to me." Kim bit her lip. "I didn't realize how… _defining_ my time as a ranger was or how consuming it would be when I agreed to serve Zordon. Losing my coin? I've never felt that low in my entire life, Tommy, like I couldn't do anything."

He sighed. "Kim…"

"Let me finish." Kim swallowed nervously. "I didn't like how I felt about myself, so I threw myself into gymnastics. I still had my friends, but not really – things changed when my coin was taken. It felt like everything else was crashing around me, but gymnastics – _that's_ where I shine, where _I'm_ in control. I've always been pretty good at it, and I needed something to remind me that I wasn't a total failure."

Tommy nodded. He did the same, immersing himself in his martial arts to keep himself from thinking about how his world was imploding.

"Tommy, it felt _amazing_ to go back to the thing I love most." She smiled wistfully. "I didn't realize how much I missed it until I was doing it again. I used to love gymnastics, and being a ranger… I didn't realize I forgot about that part of myself."

Tommy had to admit there was truth to this. When he first came to Angel Grove, Kim could always be found on the balance beam in the Youth Center, practicing her routines. But with Lord Zedd's appearance and his subsequent marriage with Rita Repulsa, Kim had less time to practice and spent more time fighting putties and monsters. It was understandable that gymnastics was put on the backburner.

"I'm glad you've found that part of yourself again, Kim," he said genuinely. He was proud of her success at the competition in Los Angeles that she had been training for with that famous trainer. With everything going on, he knew she needed a pick-me-up right about now.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to compete at the Olympics. That's always been my dream." Kim picked at her nails nervously. "And then I became a ranger and that dream was forgotten… until now."

The white ranger felt a sudden heaviness in his stomach. "What exactly are you saying, Kim?"

The pink ranger took a deep breath. "Gunther Schmidt offered me a spot at his center," she said in a rush. "To train for the Pan Globals."

"Where is it?" asked Tommy, mouth suddenly dry.

"Florida," she whispered, eyes suddenly wet.

The white ranger stared at her blankly for several seconds. "You want to go." It wasn't a question.

"I didn't tell him yes."

"You didn't have to," he said emotionlessly. "It's all over your face."

"Tommy," she said softly, grabbing his hands in hers. "I need you to listen…"

The white ranger shook his head, pulling away from her to rise to his feet. "That's what's been really bothering you… _that's_ why you've been avoiding me."

The fact that she couldn't look at him gave him his answer. Tommy turned away from her, pinching the bridge of his nose to ward off a headache. Kim licked her lips nervously before clearing her throat and walking towards him.

"I know how much being a ranger means to you. You were _so _torn up when you lost your powers, and I remember how happy you were when Zordon created the white ranger powers just for you." She rested a hand on his back. "But I'm not like you Tommy… I don't _live_ for this. I never wanted to be a ranger for the rest of my life – I want more than that and I-I think this might be the time to start."

She pulled away from him, arms wrapping around her body. "I hate losing my powers, please believe me; it's probably the single worst experience of my life and I never want to feel this way again. But I also can't…" She paused. "I can't help by think that maybe this happened for a reason. I've had weeks to think about what I want now that my power coin is gone. I've had the chance to think about Kimberly, the woman, instead of Kimberly, the pink ranger. I have to do what's best for me, and I'm sorry that upsets you."

Tommy tensed before turning to her, eyes narrowed. "You think I'm upset because you don't want to be a _ranger_ anymore?" he hissed.

Kim's eyes widened in shock; she hadn't expected him to be _that_ mad.

"Did you ever think I _might _be upset because my girlfriend, who I love more than anything, wants to leave me?" he asked angrily. "I love being ranger, Kim, but not more than you. I would never want you to miss out on pursuing your dreams; you should know me better than that."

The hurt in his voice was so raw, it broke her heart. Truthfully, she hadn't put much thought into how Tommy would feel about her leaving on a personal level, too caught up in how he would view her for leaving the team.

"I do," she whispered fiercely. "I know you would never want to hold me back from anything, Tommy. But you're not just my boyfriend – you're my leader. Your opinion of me matters, both on and off the battlefield." Kim walked over to the couch and sat. "I know you love me, just like I love you… but I didn't want you to think I'm being a coward or selfish by taking the easy way out. Nothing is more important to you than being a power ranger."

Tommy crossed the room quickly, crouching so that he was kneeling in front of her. "_You're_ more important to me, Kimberly." He sighed. "You not being a ranger wouldn't make me think less of you. It upsets me because I know I'd be losing someone who couldn't be replaced… someone who I trust without question and is one of the strongest people I know."

He grabbed her smaller hands in his. "I won't pretend to understand how or why you would choose gymnastics over being a ranger because I don't think I ever will."

She flinched at that. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I know you're disappointed."

"Hey, stop apologizing," he said softly. "You could never disappoint me – you're going after something that means a lot to you. I'll always respect you for doing what feels right."

Kim bit her lip. "But?"

His nostrils flared briefly, and his eyes stung from holding his emotions back. "I don't want you to leave," he croaked. Kimberly was his rock, and the thought of losing her scared the shit out of him – more than Lord Zedd or Rita or even the end of the Earth. He couldn't lose her.

A fresh wave of tears hit Kimberly at his confession, and she sniffled as she tried to compose herself.

"All this time I was here thinking that Lord Zedd was the enemy – turned out to be your new coach," he joked weakly. "I knew he looked suspicious when I first saw him at the Youth Center."

Kim wanted to laugh but she couldn't, not now. "I think… I think you're part of the reason why I haven't said yes yet." At his confused look, she continued. "The thought of leaving you terrifies me."

He nodded, understanding well how she felt. When Kim was kidnapped, even for only a few hours, it almost sent him spiraling.

"Would you stay if I asked you to?" he blurted without thinking.

Kimberly stared at him. "You wouldn't ask me to do that."

"Would you?" he pressed.

Kim looked down at their joined hands, a single tear rolling down her face. "Yes," she whispered.

Tommy let out a shuddering breath before cupping her face in his hands and kissing her firmly. He pulled back after several seconds, forehead rested against hers and eyes closed.

"When do you leave for Florida?"

Kim gave him a watery smile before wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. His own arms came around her waist in a crushing grip, and he held her to him as she cried into his neck.

She was really leaving.

* * *

**Angel Grove High School**

**Student Parking Lot**

**Angel Grove, CA**

**Monday, 7:21 AM**

"So do you think it worked?" asked the black ranger as he kicked around the small football.

Rocky sat on the back of Billy's RADBUG II watching him, Aisha resting between his legs.

"I would like to believe it did," said Billy as he flipped through the pages of his physics book. "I haven't heard from Tommy since Friday evening."

Adam stalled his hacky sack on his left foot. "So she could've killed Tommy?" he asked worriedly.

The yellow ranger shook her head. "If Kim had killed Tommy, _someone_ would've known by now. She'd have confessed to Jase or Trini or someone and all of us would know by now."

Adam considered this. "That's probably true."

Aisha bit her bottom lip. "When I left the house this morning, Kim's door was closed and the lights were off. I knocked but she didn't answer… I hope she's okay."

Billy closed his book, rubbing at his eyes sleepily. "I was sure Tommy would be able to make some headway with her. Retreat in the face of adversity, while tempting, is not always the best course of action."

Rocky snickered. "Oh, I'm sure he made some headway with her… probably broke her back in the process, too."

Aisha rolled her eyes. "And you were doing _so_ well until you opened your mouth."

"Hey, don't give me that," said the red ranger. "We all remember what happened after student elections."

The pink and white rangers snuck off undetected after Kim's big win as Student Body President. Aisha had gotten a ride from Kim to the Youth Center and needed to find the pink ranger in order to get her textbooks out of the trunk so she could ride home with Rocky and Adam. She enlisted the help of the other three rangers to find Kimberly when neither she nor Tommy could be reached by their communicators. They eventually found the couple having a very _private_ and very loudcelebration in a broom closet in the back of the Youth Center.

"I thought we agreed to _never_ bring that up again," said the black ranger tersely. It still bothered him to know someone he viewed as a sister was having sex.

"Bring what up again?"

The four teens turned to see Tommy staring at them curiously, Kimberly at his side. They were holding hands, fingers intertwined.

"Nothing," said Aisha quickly as she pushed off of Rocky to embrace her friend. "Kim, I didn't think you'd be here today."

The pink ranger smiled nervously. "Thank Tommy. He worked his magic and got me to come."

"I'm sure he did," said Rocky with a snicker before jumping to his feet. "We missed you, pinkie," he murmured, pulling her in for a tight hug.

Tommy could see Kimberly tense up in Rocky's arms at the nickname 'pinkie' and he swallowed thickly. Like him, she was still conflicted about her leaving the team to pursue her dreams.

* * *

_The white ranger hummed to himself as he spread some Nutella on a piece of bread. He wore faded gray sweatpants, too lazy to truly dress himself. It had been an emotionally and physically draining night with Kimberly._

_He had woken up thinking that everything the day before had been a horrible dream, that she wasn't really leaving him or the team and would be staying in Angel Grove indefinitely. But when Tommy rolled over and felt her curled up into his side, every detail about the night before came rushing back to him._

_The two had talked a bit more about the Pan Globals. Kimberly still had to tell Coach Schmidt that she wanted to go, but once she did, that left only two weeks for her to be in Angel Grove._

_Tommy was already dreading them._

_He had watched her carefully as she talked about the training facility down in Miami. The flush from her face and the enthusiasm in her voice made him feel conflicting emotions; happiness because he could tell she was excited about the opportunity and sadness because he could see firsthand she really wanted to go._

_Worse than that, she _needed_ to go._

'Why do I always have to be so goddamn understanding?' _he thought sourly as he sliced open a grapefruit for Kimberly to eat. _'Everyone else gets to be selfish and the _one_ time it would benefit me most, I still do the right thing.'

_He scowled, grabbing the two plates of food before making his way to the small dining area. Sometimes it really sucked being the nice guy._

_Kimberly sat at the table with his large over-shirt on, knees tucked under her chin as she stared off into space. He placed her food in front of her before taking a seat. The pink ranger didn't react – mentally, she was miles away. She and Tommy had spent the night together after her confession of what was really bothering her came out. The last time so much emotion had been shared in the bedroom was the night they lost their virginity to each other, and even that couldn't compare. Kim had finally come to grips with the fact that she wanted to pursue her dreams as a professional gymnast, but after last night, she was having second thoughts._

_How could she even think of leaving him?_

"_Hello," he said, waving a hand in her face. "You okay?"_

_Kim blinked. "Sorry, I just – I was off in another world."_

"_This one not good enough?" he teased._

"_Ha ha," she said with a half-smile. "I was just thinking."_

_Tommy took a bite of his banana. "About?"_

_She picked at her grapefruit, not really hungry. "You're gonna think I'm being ridiculous."_

"_Well, let me be the judge of that," he said softly. "What's on your mind?_

_Kim put down her fork before sighing heavily. "Tommy… what if I do this and it turns out to be a huge mistake?"_

_He took a sip of his milk. "What do you mean? I thought this was what you wanted to do."_

_She bit her lip. "It is, but what if this goes nowhere?"_

_Tommy peered at her. "Where's this coming from, Kim?"_

"_Tommy, if I leave for Florida, I'm going for what? The chance that I might be good enough to win at the Pan Globals? That I could maybe make it to the Olympics?" she asked._

"_There's nothing silly about that, Kim," said Tommy. "It's your dream – nothing should stop you from going for it."_

"_Hundreds of girls have that same dream, Tommy. Girls with more training, more experience… how do I know that I'm not just setting myself up for failure?"_

_Kimberly had been practicing gymnastics since she was six, but with her parents' divorce, her mother couldn't afford to keep her in the local program. She had been training herself for the last few years._

"_Let's say I go and don't make it?" She wrapped her arms around her legs. "I would have left one of the most important things in my life for a pipe dream. How could I give that up for something that's not a sure thing?"_

_The white ranger sat back in his chair, finally understanding what was going on. She wasn't talking about being a ranger; she was talking about him. "Kim, just… stop."_

_She furrowed her brow. "Stop what?"_

"This_," he said tiredly as he pressed his fingers to his temples. "Finding excuses to stay."_

"_Th-That's not what –"_

"_You're not fooling me, Kim. You're telling me you're _this_ close to your dream and _now_ you're having second thoughts about going for it because there's a chance you won't succeed? That's bullshit. I could literally _feel_ how happy you were about this yesterday. This sudden attitude change has nothing to do with you not being good enough; this is about us."_

_Kim looked away at that. "You're saying I'm wrong for feeling this way?"_

"_I'd be the world's biggest hypocrite if I said that, but this isn't easy for me to listen to, Kim," he said, frustration rising. "I just got hit with the news that you're leaving in a few weeks, and it's _killing_ me, but I'm trying to accept it because I love you." He ran his hands through his hair. "And now you're telling me you're having second thoughts and might stay?"_

_His expression was pained. "I'm trying _so_ hard to be supportive, but I can only take so much of the back and forth, Kim."_

"_I'm not trying to play with your emotions," she whispered. "I'm just scared."_

_His anger dimmed when he saw the look in her eyes, and he reached across the table to grab her hands. "The future is always scary because you don't know what will happen… but that's no reason to run from it." Tommy gave her hands a squeeze. "Remember what you told me, when I lost my powers?"_

"_Yeah," she said, toying with his fingers. "I said you'd be okay and that you would always have us all…"_

"_And you'll have me." He smiled. "The distance will be hard, but we'll work through it. We've been through Rita and Zedd and all their schemes and we're still standing – this should be a piece of cake for us."_

_Kim laughed softly, eyes wet with unshed tears. "Yeah, you're right." She took a deep breath. "This is all just happening so _fast_, you know?"_

"_So you take it one day at a time. You said you have a few days before Coach Schmidt needs an answer, so take that time to really think about it. Focus on your gymnastics and see how you feel – just be honest with yourself and what you want." He interlaced his fingers with hers. "I'll be there for you every step of the way."_

_Saying the words out loud made it sound like there was a real possibility she might stay, but they both knew the truth deep down inside._

_A slow smile made its way across her lips as she reached up to cup his face, leaning forward to kiss him softly._

"_Thank you," she mumbled against his lips._

* * *

"Everything all right, Kimmie?" asked Adam.

Kim shook herself out of her reverie and smiled as she pulled him into a hug. "I'm better than I was before."

"I'm sorry for helping to kidnap you," he whispered to her. "Peer pressure's a bitch."

Kim laughed, hugging him tighter before pulling back. "It's okay, just don't do it again," she said with narrowed eyes.

"I'm happy to see that you're back in school," said Billy, who was now standing beside Tommy. "Your absence was most disconcerting."

Kim grinned. "I missed you, too, Billy."

"I knew you'd be fine," said Rocky haughtily as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Power rangers are unstoppable; we've proven that time and time again."

Tommy saw Kim smile in response, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. They were filled with a myriad of emotions - namely guilt, anxiety, and sadness - and his heart instantly went out to her.

"Guys, listen up," said Tommy in his best leader voice. "We need to talk about something before class starts."

The others looked at him curiously, and Kim made her way to his side, hand sliding into his to twine their fingers.

"What is it?" asked the yellow ranger.

Tommy gave Kim's hand a gentle squeeze, giving her some of his strength as she cleared her throat. "Coach Schmidt has been really impressed with my performance these last few weeks, and he wants to train me these next few days before he leaves town. You guys already know how rare this opportunity is for me, and I want to make the most of it."

The other four rangers nodded. "So this means that Kim's afternoons won't be free, and we have to make an effort not to call her while we're battling unless it's absolutely necessary," said Tommy seriously. "Training with him is really important to her."

"Sure thing," said Adam. "We'd do anything for you, Kim, you know that."

"Thanks," she murmured softly, guilt consuming her. How could she be blessed with such amazing friends and want to leave them behind?

"Yeah, we'll handle things with Rita and Zedd while you focus on that. And who knows, we might even have your power coin back by the time your coach leaves," the red ranger said happily.

The encouraging smiles flashed her way made Kim's stomach flip in an unsettling way. She and Tommy had discussed her leaving the team and decided not to announce it to their teammates until Kimberly was absolutely sure she was going to do it. Truthfully, Kim knew what her choice would be, but she still had some things to think over before making the final decision.

The bell rang at that moment, saving Kimberly from the awkwardness following Rocky's statement. Billy and the others grabbed their backpacks off the ground as they headed inside.

"Hey, Kim, want me to save you a seat in English?" asked Aisha.

"Yeah," said the gymnast softly. "I'll catch up to you guys in a bit."

Kim waited until she and Tommy were alone before turning to him. "That was…"

He nodded. "I know, but it doesn't matter. Remember the plan? Focus on you and what you want. Nothing else matters."

Kim smiled up at him, anxiety dissipating from his words. "You're kind of amazing, you know that?"

Tommy grinned at her. "Thanks for noticing," he joked before claiming her lips with his in a barely-restrained kiss. His tongue caressed hers briefly before he pulled back.

"I love you," he said softly.

"I love you, too," she whispered back.

He pulled her to his side, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Her arm snaked around his waist. Tommy looked down at her. "Ready?"

Kim took a shaky breath before nodding. "As much as I can be."

Kimberly bit her lip as he led them into AGHS, knowing full well that she was anything but ready. She had so much to do and too little time to do it.

'_I need to call my parents. I need to talk to Principal Kaplan and Aisha's parents… I need a new leotard…' _

She figured Aisha could help her with the last task, and she instantly became subdued at the thought of explaining why she needed a new leotard to her best friend.

There was still lingering nervousness of how the others would react to her leaving, not to mention Zordon and Alpha 5. She inwardly groaned at the thought of her mentor. Kimberly hadn't given Zordon any thought and didn't want to even think of the conversation she'd be having with him soon.

'_I have to find a new pink ranger,'_ she realized suddenly. With her leaving the team, a replacement would be needed soon to fill her shoes.

Kim gave a light smile as people spoke to her, commenting on her being absent for the last few days. She scanned the crowd subconsciously, as if a suitable substitute would be standing in the hallway waving at her. They were able to find Aisha, Rocky and Adam when Trini, Jason and Zack left for the Peace Conference, so why shouldn't she be able to find her own at AGHS?

Kim bit her lip as that thought crossed her mind. _'I guess I really _am_ leaving if I'm already looking for a replacement?'_

A tug on her hand pulled her from her thoughts, and she looked up to see Tommy staring at her questioningly.

"Everything alright?" He noticed she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings when he switched to pulling her along as opposed to walking with her.

The pink ranger blinked, realizing that they were outside of her English class. "What?"

Tommy raised an eyebrow. "I asked if everything is alright?"

Kim caught sight of Aisha waving at her from the back of the classroom and she smiled before turning back to Tommy.

"Everything's fine."

* * *

_One-shot. No sequels. Please read and review._


End file.
